The electrochemistry of (tetraphenylporphinato)cobalt(II), (TPP)Co, and chloro(tetraphenylporphinato)cobalt(III), (TPP)Co"'Cl, is reported in methylene chloride solutions containing various concentrations of tetrabutylammonium chloride. The two-electron reduction of (TPP)Co"'CI or the one-electron reduction of (TPP)Co generates [ (TPP)Co']-, but these reversible electroreductions are followed by a rapid irreversible chemical reaction with the CH2C12 solvent to produce a a-bonded cobalt(II1) complex. Electrwxidation of (TPP)Co in the presence of C1-generates either (TPP)Co"'Cl or [(TPP)CO~~'CI~]-after abstraction of one electron and [(TPP)Co1"Cl]+ or (TPP)Co"'C12 after abstraction of a second electron. The [(TPP)CO~~CI]-/[(TPP)CO~~'CI~]-and [(TPP)CO~~'CI~]-/(TPP)CO~I~CI~ reactions occur at E, = 0.57 V (cyclic voltammetry, scan rate = 0.1 V/s) and E l j 2 = 0.63 V, respectively. (TPP)Co"'Cl is reversibly oxidized to [(TPP)Co"'Cl]+ at 0.90 V and to [(TPP)CO~"CI]~+ at 1.15 V in the absence of excess C1-. ESR, UV-visible, and thin-layer spectroelectrochemical methods were utilized to characterize the reactants and products of each electrode reaction. and a mechanism for the chloride-binding reactions and electrochemistry of (TPP)Co and (TPP)Co"'CI is presented. (17) Kobayashi, H.; Hara, T.; Kaizu, Y. Bull. Chem. SOC. Jpn. 1972, 45, 2148.-Clarke, D. A.; Dolphin, D.; Grigg, R.; Johnson, A. W.; Pinnock, H. A. Chem. Commun. 1967, 305. Ogoshi, H.; Watanabe, E.; Koketsu, N.; Yoshida, Z . Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1976, 49, 2529. Momenteau, M.; Fournier, M.; Rougee, M. J. Chim. Phys. 1970,67, 926. Yamamoto, K.; Uzawa, J.; Chizimatsu, T. Chem. Lett. 1979, 89. Ohya-Nishiguchi, H.; Khono, M.; Yamomoto, K. Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1981,54, 1923. Ichimori, K.; Ohya-Nishiguchi, H.; Hirota, N.; Yamomoto, K. Bull. Chem. SOC. Jpn. 1985,58, 623. Sakurai, T.; Yamamoto, K.; Naito, H.; Nakamoto, N. Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1976, 49, 3042. Yamamoto, K.; Konno, M.; Ohya-Nishiguchi, H. Chem. Lett. 1981, 255. Yamamoto, K.; Hoshino, M.; Kohno, M.; Ohya-Nishiguchi, H. Bull. Chem. SOC. Jpn. 1986, 59, 351.